March 5 – The First Sunday Before Lent

The First Sunday before Lent is celebrated 7 weeks before Easter. It is one of the important Christian feasts, which marks the beginning of the longest fast in the year. On this day, cheese pastry, cakes, eggs, white khalva with nuts and fish are served on the table. At dinner time, all the family gathers in the house of the parents. This feast is related to a special tradition –the younger members of the family kiss the hands of the older ones, and ask for forgiveness for the mistakes and wrongs they have made through the past year. There is one more interesting tradition – the so-called ‘hamkane” – a boiled shelled egg or a piece of white khalva is tied on a thread, set swinging and everyone has to try to catch the egg or the khalva in their mouth. On this day, people also make festive fires and jump over them.